Criminal Justice

Under a little-known Texas elections law, state prison inmates who are actively appealing their convictions are eligible to register and vote.

The state of Texas is being sued over the lack of air conditioning in its prisons, where indoor temperatures can top 100 degrees in the summer. In federal court, inmates detailed the extreme measures they’ve taken to get out of the heat, like starting fires or inflicting self-harm.

About 70 women at the Coleman Unit in Lockhart graduated with a high school diploma this summer through a program run by the Goodwill Excel Center. Many said it reshaped how they saw themselves and their futures.

Paxton, a Republican who was charged with felony securities fraud in 2015, has reached a deal with prosecutors that will let him avoid facing a jury next month. He did not have to admit guilt in agreeing to the terms.

An organizer alleged the prison was retaliating by interfering with the inmates' attempts to contact the outside world.

A new report finds that Texas courts use very different yardsticks to decide who’s poor enough to get a court-appointed lawyer. That patchwork often leaves people without the legal defense in a criminal trial that the Constitution promises.

If passed in November, the measure would require two officers per every 1,000 residents.

A coalition of Austin City Council members, political operatives and criminal justice advocates wants the policies to be enshrined in the city's charter— and say the effort doesn't run afoul of state law.

Commissioners heard hours of testimony against the proposal, which would cost roughly $79 million, before voting to hold off on the design plan for the jail — or any facility.

County commissioners will take up a contract to build the facility next week.